The Right Moment
by vashmil
Summary: Hermione and Severus struggle to find their way to each other in the midst of a battered and war-torn world. As always, I own nothing!
1. Chapter 1

There was little point in denying herself any longer. Why did she even bother in the first place? It's not like anyone would know.

Her fingers slid slowly into her knickers, moving easily through her damp lower lips. A soft gasp left her when she reached her clit. Startled by her own noise, her eyes jerked open and she glanced around the room.

Of course no one was here. No one was watching. She was alone in her quarters. They would have been her Head Girl quarters if school were in session. Provided everything went well this summer, Hogwarts would reopen and these would be her Head Girl quarters in the fall. The fire burned low in the hearth, the crackling no more than a background noise in her mind. Books were stacked haphazardly near her favorite reading chair. It was identical to the one in _his_ quarters. Her cat was lounging in between the green velvet pillow and the…her cat! Her startled eyes met brilliant amber ones, narrowed and watching her intently.

As if burned, her hand flew out of her knickers and she pulled the pillow over her head in shame. Gods, how could she have forgotten about Crookshanks! She tried to reason with herself that the cat couldn't know what she had been doing, let alone who had instigated such depraved actions on her part. At that thought, her eyes drifted shut and her mind wandered again.

Black eyes, lit with passionate fire, met hers across an indistinct room. Slowly, fluidly, they moved closer, drawing her into their depths. Long-fingered hands gently touched her breast before sliding down her ribcage. He barely touched her, but the trails he left on her skin blazed with an intensity that could only be described using words from one of those trashy romance novels that her mother used to read.

She had only stumbled across them accidentally, really, she had never gone back. There was no possible way that she had read every single one that she found, cover to cover, let alone more than once. Tell that to the blazing trails of fire that those imaginary fingers left across her ribcage.

Following her phantom's lead, her own fingers quickly found her folds once again. It wouldn't take long, she would swear on the Sorting Hat that her clit had been throbbing and swollen since she'd seen _him _at breakfast. She hadn't been able to bring herself to go back to the Great Hall for lunch or dinner. With a soft cry, muffled by the pillow still covering her face, she shuddered her release. In a matter of minutes, she had departed the conscious world for fitful, unfulfilled dreams.

- The Next Morning -

"You look terrible, Mione!"

Ron's comment pounded inside her head as she sat down to breakfast. She had a tornado of a headache tearing at her skull and she was far from capable of dealing with his rampant incivility. "Sod off, Ronald," she muttered, squinting at the spread and feeling her stomach turn at the greasy breakfast fare scattered across the table.

"You deserved that one, mate," mumbled Harry as he watched Hermione's face turn an eerie shade of white.

She ignored them both. Feeling the telltale signs of a world class vomit swirling in her stomach, she quickly jumped from the table and fled from the Great Hall. Vision blurring, she sped to the nearest window and chucked the sloppy contents of her nearly empty stomach over the ledge.

"I was under the impression that you were here helping clean up the school, not defiling the rosebushes."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to whatever gods that were listening that he would just let her be. But of course no one heard her silent pleas.

The voice became deeper and somehow more sinister at her lack of response, "Miss Granger, I am speaking to you. Do not presume to ignore me simply because you are not feeling your usual, irritating self."

She opened her mouth to snipe back, but all that came out was a hacking wheeze and more viscous bile from the dregs of her stomach.

Suddenly she felt her hair being pulled away from her face and a solid warmth pressing against her backside.

"Miss Granger, are you quite alright?" the voice said. Much closer this time, and suddenly taking on a soft, gentle quality. Her favorite tone. The tone reserved for only her. "Miss…Hermione, please, what's the matter?"

Shakily, she stood herself up and leaned fully against his body. There was no way she was going to be able to hold herself up.

His arms quickly slid around her back and behind her legs and she felt herself being lifted. That was the last conscious thought she had for several hour


	2. Chapter 2

6 Months Ago-

"Miss Granger, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing here?"

"Shut up, Snape, I'm bringing you news," she whispered to him, glancing around the dank and dingy bedroom of Spinner's End. Spotting a crack in the curtains, she quickly closed them. "A better question, is what are _you_ doing here? The Order will have your head if they find you, and Spinner's End is kind of obvious, don't you think?"

The glare he sent her way would have cowed a lesser woman, but she had been involved in this bloody war for too damn long. She'd seen too much. And a man with tousled hair wearing a dingy grey sleep shirt was far from the most frightening thing she'd ever witnessed. As a matter of fact, she had seen this particular man in much more vulnerable positions than looking mildly annoyed and wandless on his bed. A small smile found its way to her lips at that thought.

"Well if it's such stupid place to be, why are _you_ the first person to think to look for me here?" he sniped, running his fingers through his greasy hair and cringing when he felt how mussed it was. "How the fuck did you get in my house, anyway?"

She frowned as her eyes took in his too-thin frame and she quickly turned to build up the fire before he could interpret her inspection of his person as pity. "That's of no importance," she spoke quickly into the fire. She didn't have much time, the boys would miss her. "Nagini is the only remaining Horcrux, and of course Harry himself, but we already know how that has to play out," she trailed off, not wanting to think of her best friend going to slaughter like a farm animal that's reached his prime. Breathing in sharply, she continued, "We have a plan. The snake will be dead by midnight." She turned to face him. "I trust you, Severus. Do what you can; see that the Dark Lord is not prepared for the final battle."

Meeting his eyes, she was surprised by the grudging respect she saw there. He quickly replaced his expressionless mask and the moment was gone. "Consider it done, Miss Granger."

The smile that lit up her face could have battled the sun for its brightness and won. He was so taken off guard that he didn't notice her moving until she had practically knocked him flat on the bed with her hug. "It's almost over," she whispered, "Gods, it's almost over." Then, as suddenly as she had assaulted him, she pecked him on the cheek, removed herself and departed the house into the cool October air. Without a backward glance, she ran to the park across the road and Apparated from behind the bushes


	3. Chapter 3

- Present Day -

She slowly pried her eyes open and was grateful for the dimness of the room. Gingerly, she reached her hand up and pulled the damp cloth from her forehead. She supposed it had been cool when it was placed there, but it was warm now, and her head was starting to sweat. Glancing around, she recognized the towering bookcases lining every wall. Moving her inspection lower, her eyes took in the large, oak desk, covered with stacks of scrolls. Turning her head, she saw Severus, sleeping ungracefully in one of the brown leather chairs next to his hearth. He was dressed casually in black trousers and a half-unbuttoned white shirt. She scolded her libido as she visually examined the smattering of black hair on his exposed chest. Pulling her eyes away, she noted that he looked horribly uncomfortable, and by the angle of his neck, he'd probably be in pain when he awoke.

Taking great care to not move too quickly, she pulled herself into a sitting position. In doing so, the blanket that had been swaddling her fell away and she was startled to see that she was no longer wearing her school robes. Instead, she was dressed in her own blue cotton pajama pants and a matching sleeveless top. She flushed at the thought of Severus undressing her.

"I see you're back in the land of the living."

Jerking her head up, Hermione tried to tamp down her sordid thoughts. She failed miserably when she witnessed him arching his back and twisting the crick out of his neck. This was totally unfair! She was only a mortal, after all! Her weak gasp had him out of his seat and attending to her nearly immediately.

"Are you alright? Poppy said you had low blood sugar and you probably hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday. What were you thinking, you stupid girl! You must eat." He reached to the coffee table and handed her a carefully cut triangle of a ham sandwich.

She was hungry, she couldn't deny that. She took a large bite out of the sandwich and sighed in approval. Leaning back against the sofa, she finished what he'd given her and was reaching for another piece when she noticed the strained look on his face. His dark eyes were focused on her chest.

Glancing down at herself, she noted then that it was very chilly in the room, despite the fire. Not to mention that he had apparently banished her brassier along with her robes.

"Severus?" she whispered.

His eyes shot up to meet hers and he was obviously struggling with himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind as his gaze traveled back down her body. He swallowed audibly before reaching his hand out. He paused just before he reached the straining peak on her left breast.

Finally making his decision, he tugged on the stretchy, cotton fabric of her top and exposed her taut flesh. She watched him intently, breathing heavily as his index finger and thumb closed on her stiff nub and rolled it tightly between them. Her soft cry spurred him on and he pulled down the other side and repeated his actions on her other breast.

The discord that had previously encompassed his expression had been replaced with one of dark hunger. He watched her, enraptured, as her body tensed and writhed beneath his touch. He continued to tug on her nipples. Bliss rippled through her body as though there were a direct line from her nipples to her core. One would think that such a simple act wouldn't be so effectively incapacitating, but it had been five months since he had touched her. Five long, miserable months since he had even acknowledged her existence as more than another annoying student. Five months since she had cried out in ecstasy at his hands. She was going to enjoy this for all it was worth, dammit!

Despite her unwillingness to break the moment by trying to direct him, she needed more. In an attempt to be less than subtle, she wordlessly banished her skimpy clothes and thanked the gods for the magic that kept her hairless in all the right places.

The strangled noise that originated in his throat told her that she was close to getting what she needed. His eyes locked onto hers, and one hand skimmed her stomach and delved into her aching centre, eliciting an equally strangled cry from her own lips.

"Gods, I've needed this," she whimpered, "please don't stop.


	4. Chapter 4

- Five Months Ago -

"Severus, that hurts, slow down!" she exclaimed as he dragged her down the crumbled halls towards the dungeon.

Releasing her quickly, he stopped and examined her arm, concern etched on his face. "I'm sorry, I got carried away. I don't think you'll bruise," he murmured as he gently kissed his way up her arm to her shoulder. Upon reaching her neck, he latched on, roughly grasped her hips and pushed her towards the base of a broken statue.

The castle was in a terrible state. It had only been three weeks since the final battle. The angry, red scars across Severus' neck and chest attested to the close call with the Dark Lord's ophidian counterpart. Hermione had spent every second she could by his bedside. It had taken him nearly a week to come out of his coma and she had been rank with the lack of a proper shower. Cleaning spells only did so much. Her clothes still bore holes and blood stains when his eyes had finally found hers. "You look atrocious, Miss Granger," he had whispered, his voice rough with disuse. She had never been so grateful to be insulted.

The rough stone of the shattered effigy was painful against her backside, but she ignored it in favor of the pleasure that Severus was bringing to the rest of her body. Still sucking greedily on her neck, he wove his fingers in her hair and tugged her head back further. His other hand lifted her skirt and ripped her knickers to shreds. Hermione wrapped her legs around him and deftly undid his trousers.

Poppy had only just let him out of the infirmary and this was the first time they'd been alone together since he'd awoken. The original intent was to make it back to his quarters, but sometimes lust has a way of precluding the best laid plans.

Her shriek upon his entrance rustled the sleeping bats out of the rafters above their head, but they didn't notice, so engrossed in each other as they were. If they had paused a moment to regard the departing colony, perhaps they could have avoided disaster.

As it was, Severus took her roughly against the fragments of stone, taking his pleasure in hearing her chant his name to the cold ruins around them. She was shaking through her second climax when he stiffened and reached his own completion. "I've missed you," he panted into her disheveled hair as they came down from their high.

Her tinkle of laughter brought a smile to his face as he gently backed away from her, slipping out in the process. She stood gingerly, pushing her wrinkled skirt back into place. She reached for him but stopped halfway. He saw terror wash over her as she took in the still and furious figure behind him.

"Back away from the girl, Severus," McGonagall's sharp voice rang in their ears.

His face tightened in anger as he tucked himself back into his trousers. "Minerva, how nice to see you."

"Don't make me use force, Severus," his name sliding off her tongue like some sort of disgusting disease.

Hermione took her chance, "Professor, please, he didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do."

Hermione had never felt so small as she did on the other end of Minerva McGonagall's glare. Thankfully it only lasted a few seconds before her ire returned to its original victim.

"I had thought the worst of you was murdering Albus," she hissed, "Now I come to find you enjoy defiling schoolchildren in the ruined halls of this school, your home!"

He laughed, a husky sound that Hermione would have found quite pleasant in any other situation. "She's hardly a child, Minerva. Did you forget the Time Turner, or perhaps the fact that she spent the last year on the run? She's almost 22, for Merlin's sake!"

McGonagall's face turned a hideous shade of reddish purple as she contemplated his words. She glared again at Hermione and then snapped her head back to Severus. "Be that as it may," she hissed, "while you two reside here, I'll not have you _shagging_ like animals in the halls. I should think that Miss Granger could do better than the likes of you, at the very least." With a harsh click of her heels, she disappeared around the corner.

The man who turned to face her was not the Severus that had just fucked her into oblivion. She was faced with the Professor Snape so fond of giving detentions that he threatened local merchants with them.

"Severus," she whispered, hoping to coax her lover out of the shell he was hiding in.

His eyes were unfocused as he stared at her. Pain resonated in his voice when he spoke, "Return to your rooms, Miss Granger. I shan't see you again outside of professional requirement." Without another word, he swept along the corridor and disappeared into his quarters.

Hermione had no idea how long she spent standing in that corridor, his essence slowly making its way down her thigh


	5. Chapter 5

- Present Day -

_The strangled noise that originated in his throat told her that she was close to getting what she needed. His eyes locked onto hers, and one hand skimmed her stomach and delved into her aching centre, eliciting an equally strangled cry from her own lips._

_"Gods, I've needed this," she whimpered, "please don't stop."_

The deep growl that emanated from his chest was almost enough to send her over the edge.

She pleaded with him, her voice rough, "Fuck…Severus, I need you!"

His nostrils flared as he wordlessly banished his clothes. What little self control he had maintained over the last five months was shattered at the sight of her flushed body writhing on his sofa. Her appeals played over and over inside his head. He would fuck, alright. He would do more than fuck. Who was he to play by the misguided rules of a grief-ridden old woman, anyway?

Without a word, he grasped her by the hips and lifted her gracefully, sliding beneath her onto the sofa. He paused only to position her directly above his hardness before hastily pulling her down to join him.

Her shriek of pleasure was music to his ears. One more cursory thrust and she was shaking around him, her abdominal muscles rippling and clenching at his manhood.

It took several minutes for her to come down from her peak. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled warmly at him. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered huskily, "Now it's your turn, old man," before clamping her muscles tightly around his still rock-hard cock.

His deep cry of, "Fuck, witch!" was her reward.

Hermione sat upright and gazed at the flushed and desperate wizard beneath her. She tightened her muscles around his member, gyrating her hips and stomach as she moved on him. She liked to think she looked like a belly-dancer when she moved like this. Whatever she may have looked like was irrelevant; she felt bloody incredible and from the bruises she anticipated having on her hips, Severus agreed.

She writhed above him for several minutes, watching the expressions play across his face as he gently pushed up into her. His back would arch, his eyes closing tightly in a sort of pained euphoria. These were the moments she held on to. To the world he was only one man, one face, one embittered soul. To her...with her, he was so much more.

Her eyes drifted shut as the tremors of her approaching orgasm clouded her brain. Arching back, she blindly reached behind herself and gripped his thighs. The new angle took her higher and her breathy gasps turned into shrieks of ecstasy.

Without warning, she felt the rough pad of Severus' thumb slip through her nectar and rub firmly against her clit. Hermione's body reacted with a violent jerk as she came. She fell back, his manhood sliding out of her as she quivered on the sofa between his legs.

The next thing she knew, Severus was no longer beneath her and was instead gazing intently at her from above. With a serious look masking his face, he slipped back into her, the flaring of his nostrils the only indication that he was affected at all.

Unhurriedly, he pulled back and plunged into her, his eyes fixed on her own; his expression unchanging despite his laboured breathing. On the third thrust, his body seized and he captured her lips, erupting deep within her.

Breathing heavily, Severus kissed along the side of her face. His hoarse "Hermione..." was no more than a whisper as he found and sucked tenderly on a wholly delicious spot just behind her ear


End file.
